Cleveland,
Ohio – U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott announced today that the U.S. Marshals
Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force (NOVFTF) has made their 30,000th
arrest.

This milestone arrest occurred yesterday
morning in Akron when the NOVFTF arrested John P. Reed, a cold case fugitive
wanted for 1984 charges of attempted homicide and armed robbery. Reed is
also currently being investigated for failing to register as a sex offender
stemming from a 1960 conviction of rape and kidnapping. Reed, age 70, was
wanted by the Fresno Police Department in California and the United States
Marshals Service.

The NOVFTF received a lead this week from the
U.S. Marshals in Eastern California who discovered that Reed had fled
California approximately 16 or more years ago and moved to Ohio under the
alias of Gene Mora. Reed obtained a driver’s license and passport using the
alias of Mora. The NOVFTF immediately responded to the information and
located and arrested Reed at a residence in the 200 block of Kelly Avenue in
Akron, Ohio. During the arrest, officers found and seized a large amount of
weapons in the residence to include handguns, rifles, swords, knives and
hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Reed may face additional charges for the
weapons. Reed was transported to the Summit County Jail to await extradition
to California.

Since its inception in June of 2003, the
NOVFTF has been responsible for the arrests of over 675 fugitives wanted for
homicide, over 2100 fugitives wanted for sex offenses, over 3600 fugitives
wanted for assault, over 2000 fugitives wanted for robbery, over 1700
fugitives wanted for weapons offenses and over 8500 fugitives wanted for
narcotics offenses. The NOVFTF has also seized over 1,100 firearms, over
23,000 rounds of ammunition, over 540 kilos of illegal narcotics and over
$2.1 million currency.

Additionally, the NOVFTF has cleared over
42,000 warrants during this time. The wide-reaching grasp of the NOVFTF has
tracked down and captured fugitives across the United States and many
foreign nations to include Canada, Mexico, Vanuatu and Israel, to name a
few. The NOVFTF has been one of the top performing Fugitive Task Forces in
the country and has grown in significantly over the last 9 years. The NOVFTF
now consists of over 100 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies
with more than 350 law enforcement officers working together to locate and
apprehend the most violent offenders within Northern Ohio. The NOVFTF
currently has 6 full-time divisions based out of Cleveland, Akron,
Youngstown, Toledo, Elyria and Mansfield.

“This milestone arrest can attest to the
vigilance and bravery of all the men and women who serve on the Task Force,”
U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott said. “The dedication these officers show to
helping keep our communities safe is a testament to their courage and
character, however we would not have the success rate we do without the
community’s involvement. This significant accomplishment stands as proof of
the great relationships the Task Force has with the community at large.”

Anyone with information regarding the
whereabouts of a known fugitive is encouraged to contact the U.S. Marshals
Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force at:
1-866-4-WANTED or text keyword WANTED
and the tip to TIP411 (847411).
Tipsters may remain anonymous and a cash reward may be available. The Task
Force’s “Dangerous Dozen” fugitives can be viewed at
http://www.usmarshals.gov/district/oh-n/fugitives/pdf/dangerous_dozen.pdf,
which is updated monthly.